NSW players insist they won’t hesitate to physically test Reece Walsh in Origin II and don’t expect the Maroons fullback to be afforded extra protection.
Walsh was targeted by Blues defenders in the opening exchanges of the series opener, but Joseph Sua’ali’i mistimed his eighth minute tackle and was sent off, while the Queensland star suffered a head knock and was ruled out.
Blues second-rower Liam Martin, who won the NSW player’s player award, had earlier rattled Walsh with a legal tackle as he kicked at the end of the Maroons’ first set of possession and said he would again be looking to “get at him”.
"I treat it the exact same. It doesn't change," Martin said.
"He's such a key for them so we'll be going after him but we're obviously not intentionally going out there to hurt or injure him.
"It's part of the game, that’s physicality, so nothing will change."
Sua’ali’i’s tackle sparked a war of words along state lines, with a number of former Queensland players questioning NSW’s tactics.
Former Maroons coach Kevin Walters, who is Walsh’s mentor at the Broncos, noted that it was the second time this season he had been injured by foul play, but the Blues insist Sua’ali’i’s tackle was merely an accident.
Sua'ali'i sent off
"It is a fine line because it's a game of the barest margins," Martin said.
"If someone falls and you clip them high … otherwise it would've been a good shot.
"You try to be physical, and accidents do happen, but you just try your best to not put yourself and others in those situations.
"We are never out to intentionally hurt anyone or injure them. You hate seeing anyone like that and after the game you just hope he pulled up alright. You’d never do it intentionally.”
Fellow NSW second-rower Angus Crichton said: "You've got to pressure anyone. It's wild that everyone's trying to say that we were trying to injure him. It was a split decision that Joey got wrong. I hope Reece has recovered well".
Asked about his own tackle on Walsh, Martin said: "I definitely wasn't out there to hurt him or anything like that. It's just footy and you try to be physical".
The Maroons have recalled Felise Kaufusi for the MCG encounter and Martin said he expected the veteran enforcer to play a similar role in defence.
Kaufusi smashes former team mate
“Felise is such a quality player and I’ve enjoyed how he has played over the years,” Martin said.
“He is aggressive and a tough competitor so he probably will be bringing that bit of fire, and we will have to match it. I'm sure they're going to go after a few of our boys like we're going to go after some of theirs."
With the Blues trailing 20-6 midway through the second half as they struggled to adapt to being a man down, Martin took it upon himself to lift his team-mates with some big hits in defence.
Two huge hits from the NSW Blues!
The first rattled the ribcage of former Panthers team-mate J’maine Hopgood, who will miss Origin II, and was followed by another bruising tackle by Reece Robinson that forced Reuben Cotter to spill the ball.
"Liam was huge for us, when went down to 12 men everyone needed to aim up and find something and Marto certainly led from the front. We need 13 of us doing that next week," Crichton said.
Martin’s efforts earned him the NSW player’s player award.
“I was stoked with that, it is the highest honour to get your team-mates recognition and I am really grateful for their votes,” he said.
“I just try to do my role for the team and my aggression and physicality is a strength of my game. I just try to inspire a few of the boys and hopefully drag them up with me.”